DIY Beauty: eye mask for Kung Fu Panda

Heya! It’s been awhile since I featured a DIY recipe. I read about using grated cucumber and potato for the eyes in a book recently and decided to try this. I knew about using them individually as slices to soothe the eyes but hadn’t thought about mixing them together. It’s a bit messy, as Po can testify. But he likes it and so I think it’s a good recipe to try sometimes. Instead of just placing the entire mixture directly on the eyes, I tried putting the contents in a tea bag and it was perfect as an eye mask!

Benefits of cucumber and potato for the eyes
Both cucumber and potato are useful to reduce puffy eyes because both have astringent properties that can help decrease water retention. In addition, it is said that because cucumber contains high amounts of ascorbic acid and caffeic acid, it is great in minimizing the problem of puffy eyes. Potato juice on the other hand, is also said to be very effective in removing the dark circles around the eye because of its liquid starch content and catecholase, an enzyme in potatoes that is often used as a skin lightener.

Make an eye mask out of the mixture
This is a very simple DIY home remedy. All you need is to grate both cucumber and potato in equal amount, mix them together, squeeze out the juice so that it’s not too wet and messy, and then apply the mixture directly on your eyelids. A better way of doing this is to use a filter bag. I remember seeing empty tea sachets that allows you to put your own tea leaves but because I didn’t have them at home, I emptied one of the tea bags containing some Chinese tea and filled it with the cucumber and potato mixture. It was perfect!

Apply the juice to the rest of the face
I’m going to get myself more tea bags for this DIY remedy. It’s very soothing especially if you leave it in the fridge first, and does help to relieve puffy eyes. I can’t say that much for helping with my dark eye circles though and Po’s eyes are still panda eyes! I suppose it will have to take more bags to do that. While using the mixture as an eye mask, I used some of the juice to apply on my face too since both ingredients have skin lightening properties. And like Po, I think this is better than Kung Fu!

Comments

The bags have to be dry or it’ll be difficult to use. I saw those empty sachets sold at Meidiya before. Going to get those instead.

But actually after you drink tea, those tea bags with the content in it can also be used to soothe your eyes like an eye mask. Tea contains tannin which has anti-inflammatory effects and will help reduce puffiness too.

i heard about this before using cucumber & potato but not together.. too lazy to try potato on the eyes but i did try using cucumber.. i didn’t see a different but it was relaxing…i love how u r using Po for this demonstration.. =)

I don’t think it’ll help with puffy face but you can try. With puffy face, you might want to try a facial massage. See this post where I mentioned an easy DIY massage:
http://www.vivawoman.net/2010/05/25/easy-ways-to-lift-your-face-firm-your-neck/

For cucumber and potato mixture, put them in the fridge for around 15 mins or so before using them if you like them cooling.

Hey that’s a really cool article. I tried all these type of stuff for almost 6 years without any change in my under eye bags. Then I went for eyelid surgery. Now I am really happy with my eyes , I really regret for wasting six precious years of my life. May be home remedies will work for those who are in initial stages but not for those whose capillaries under eyes are already broken

I bet if I used the juice on a compressed face mask it would be very soothing on my whole face. I just did a mixture of cucumber juice and tea tree oil and it felt great. I’m glad to have a different use for the grated cucumber, now.

I think it was the pressure on my eyes, if I even touch them the dark circles become more prominent. But on a closer inspection hours later they’ve become way better than they were before. I’m pleasantly suprised.

Thanks for the blog… great info… I travel a lot so carrying a cucumber and potatoes in my bag is not a viable option… so I wonder if I juiced them mixed them and then kept in fridge could I apply to cotton pads and place them under my eyes and also how many days do you think it would retain its active ingredients? Just an idea … many thanks